


Falling Apart

by itsthedetails



Category: Jonas Brothers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-23
Updated: 2010-08-22
Packaged: 2017-10-24 03:59:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/258738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsthedetails/pseuds/itsthedetails
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick and Joe have one night together and Nick thinks he and Joe have finally taken the step neither of them have been willing to make, however, Joe isn't on the same page. Nick goes out on tour with The Administration and Joe starts to fall apart at the seams. Scared he forced something onto Joe he really didn't want, Nick tries to help Joe without his face getting splashed across every tabloid, keep what's really making Joe act so crazy from their friends and family and somehow save his relationship with his brother. It's not easy when Joe won't even talk to him and even harder when Joe does something Nick thinks might be unforgivable that sends him into a tailspin of his own. Nick's never backed down from a challenge before and he certainly isn't going to start now. Besides, if he can fix this mess he might actually get what he wants too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2010 JB Big Bang Challenge.

It was unusually quiet in the house, especially after arriving back in LA after spending Christmas in Dallas. Dad was off at the office though and Mom’s out with Frankie. Nick was in his room working on a song—guitar in his lap and sheet music spread around him on his bed. Joe was at home and normally, Nick would be working on the song _with_ Joe, playing bits and pieces and asking if lyrics fit, but Joe was in his room. Packing.

They had finally worked out all the details on the house Joe wanted to rent. Garbo and Jack were already moved in and most of Joe's stuff had been packed by the staff and trucked over last week. He was just getting together his more personal items to move over to the house tomorrow.

The nice thing to do would be to go and ask if Joe needed any help, but Nick couldn’t watch as he packed the last of his things into suitcases and bags. When Joe had announced he wanted to move out Nick didn’t think he’d actually go—he thought their Dad would say 'no way' or Joe would grow bored with looking for a place and give up—but Joe was insistent. He was adamant about going with the real estate agent to look at property after property until he found one he liked.

It happened way faster than Nick thought it would. Joe announced, after only a few weeks of looking, that he’d found the perfect place. Their lawyer had arranged the lease and drafted an agreement between all three roommates and if Kevin’s wedding and Christmas hadn’t been right around the corner, Joe would have made the move weeks ago. Nick smiled and did his best to pretend to act excited for Joe, but inside he couldn’t believe Joe was doing this—moving away from Nick during the little off time they had to themselves. Joe could pack by himself and Nick would stay in his room. And sulk.

***

They had a family dinner at home that night honoring Joe’s last night in the house. Their mom made all of Joe’s favorite foods and everyone listened as Joe repeated all the details about the house he loved. Nick barely ate anything and spoke even less.

Joe kept glancing at him; long, drawn out looks that silently asked what was wrong. Nick ignored him and felt the lump in his belly grow heavier by the minute. After dinner everyone scattered; Dad went to make some phone calls and Mom, Kevin and Danielle sat out on the patio. Joe followed Frankie into the TV room, so Nick escaped up to his room to be alone. Only a few minutes later, there was a sharp knock on his door and then Joe was pushing the door open into his room.

He didn’t look up even when Joe flopped next to him on his bed. They sat quietly at first and then Joe poked him in the side, “What’s up, Nicky?”

Nick shoved Joe’s wandering fingers away and mumbled, “Nothing’s wrong.”

Joe shifted closer and laid his head on Nick’s thigh looking up at him with wide eyes. “Bullshit. You think I can’t tell when something’s wrong with you? You’ve been sulking all day and you barely said a word to anyone all night. You pissed at me?”

He wasn’t pissed, not really. He was upset, but if he told Joe that he'd want to know _why_ and Nick couldn't tell Joe why. Instead, he swung his legs off the side of the bed, letting Joe’s head fall to the mattress and turned his back to Joe.

“Why don’t you just get out of here? You’re going anyway.”

He heard Joe’s sharp inhale behind him and then felt the light weight of Joe’s finger tips scritch scratch on his back. He shrugged him off. “Go, just go already.”

Joe hesitated, but Nick refused to look back. Finally, Joe got up from the bed and left the room.

***

Nick had been in bed for hours, though he was still wide awake. He thought about going down to the kitchen now that everyone else was long since asleep; his hunger from barely eating dinner finally catching up to him, but he couldn’t make himself get out of bed.

A few minutes passed and he thought he might be falling asleep when his door slowly swung open. Joe slipped in, shutting the door behind him, and quickly crossed the room to climb into bed with Nick.

Nick didn’t say anything—if he opened his mouth he’d probably beg Joe not to leave. This was familiar, Joe sliding into bed with him after the house quieted. _This_ was why he didn’t want Joe to leave.

“I know you’re mad at me. I’m not leaving you though, Nick. We’ll see each other all the time, I promise. I just—can’t stay here anymore. I want—I _need_ some freedom, even if it's monitored freedom. You know neither of us’ll ever be like Kevin—getting married at twenty-two and going from Mom and Dad's house to a house with a wife. I love them, but I need some space to be on my own. You said you understood that.”

He was nodding; he did understand that. Joe was different from him; he had a different relationship with their parents than Nick did. He and Joe had a different relationship with each other than either of them had with Kevin or Frankie though, and it made Joe's leaving hurt more.

He shimmied close to Joe, letting Joe hold him. He knew this would be the last time they did this—snuck into each other’s rooms and talked when they should be sleeping. Joe moving out would make things different when they were on the road together too; he wondered if Joe would want a separate hotel room too. The thought made him feel lonely and he clung tighter to Joe.

“I’m sorry.” He struggled for something else to say, some easy explanation, but he didn’t have one. He just knew his chest hurt and his throat was constricting. It felt like he was choking.

Not really thinking about what he was doing, he leaned in close and fit his lips to Joe’s. There was a startled gasp; Nick wasn’t sure if it was from him or Joe, but then he could breathe again, the tightness in his chest slipped away and he was kissing Joe. It was warm—Joe's lips soft against his.

Joe shifted underneath him; making it easier for their bodies to slot together—his thigh slipping between Joe’s—and he felt Joe’s dick, warm beneath the thin cotton. His own dick was throbbing. He licked at Joe’s bottom lip and when they parted slightly, Nick surged forward, pushing his tongue in to taste. His eyes squeezed closed and his hips pressed forward, seeking friction.

This was the first time anything like this had ever happened, but Nick could think of a million times it had almost happened, a billion times he wanted it to happen.

Joe’s hands squeezed his hips. Nick ground down harder pressing Joe into the mattress. He shifted directly over him and let his legs straddle Joe’s thighs. Nick had wanted this for so long and now that it was finally happening he could barely control himself; he dragged his fingers through Joe's hair and roughly tugged at the short pieces near the nape of his neck. Joe moaned in a way that went straight to his gut. He curled up around the hot, needy pit in his stomach. Thrusting his hips harder, he flexed his fingers into the soft flesh at Joe’s sides.

His dick ached, and it felt raw from rubbing against the damp, clingy cotton caught between them. He scrambled to shove both their boxers down enough to get skin to skin. He whined as Joe tried to help, but only twisted their clothing more. He moaned at the first contact of warm, hardened flesh. He rolled his hips faster, jerking almost uncontrollably until he spilled sticky hot between them. Joe shuddered underneath him, making a soft humming noise as he came too.

Nick kicked his boxers the rest of the way off and dragged Joe's off his thighs, wiping them both off the best he could. They laid in silence and Nick basked in the glow of his orgasm, as Joe traced his fingers against the small of Nick’s back. He tried to think of something to say, something that would change Joe’s mind about going, but he knew deep down nothing, even this, would change Joe’s mind.

After a while Joe tried to get up—go back to his room—but Nick couldn't let him. He buried his head in the crook of Joe's neck and whispered softly, “Please just stay. You can go back to your room before everyone else is up in the morning. Please.”

For a moment he thought Joe was going to go anyway, but he settled next to Nick and let Nick snuggle in closer, resting his head on Joe's shoulder. He fell asleep to the steady sound of Joe's breathing.

***

Nick woke up the next morning feeling happier than he'd been in a long time, despite having woken up alone. As he showered and dressed, he couldn't keep the grin off his face or the warm feeling that had settled in his chest. By the time he headed down for breakfast his cheeks were sore from the stretch of his smile.

He was disappointed to find Joe had gotten up early and had already left for the new house. He ate his breakfast quickly, eager to get over to Joe's house and see him. Mom sent Frankie off to put his shoes on and moved to gather things as well. She mentioned to Nick that she thought Joe was nervous about moving in today—that he was unusually quiet this morning. It didn't necessarily mean anything bad, Joe certainly could have just been nervous about moving, but something tingled in the back of Nick's brain that made the grin on his face dim.

Nick rode over to Joe's house with Mom and Frankie, though he had wanted to take his own car so he could leave whenever he wanted, instead of working on Mom's timetable. It wasn't a big deal though since he hoped Joe would ask him to stay the night anyway.

When they arrived Mom had to park in the street since Joe's car was haphazardly parked across the drive way and his suitcases and a few boxes were pouring out the back and spread across the cement. Nick hopped from the car, barely waiting for Mom and Frankie. He strode up the walk and into the house, looking for Joe. He passed two of their assistants who were heading from where he knew Joe's room to be. Nick found Joe and Kevin in the bedroom, Joe piling the unpacked clothes into his dresser.

Immediately, he moved to give Joe a hug—not an unusual move for them—but Joe backed away, looking nervous. Nick faltered; he stood with his arms outstretched, unsure of what to do. He stepped back, his arms falling awkwardly to his sides, and said 'Good Morning' while trying to read whatever strange look was hiding in Joe's eyes. Joe looked relieved and hurried away toward mom and Frankie when she called a hello from the living room. Nick was left with an unpleasant knot forming in his stomach.

It didn't help at all when Kevin patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry; he's been like that all morning. It's not you."

***

The rest of the day was more awkward than Nick could ever have imagined, each hour worse than the last. The lump that had settled in his stomach that morning had grown into a sick burning that made him feel like he did when his blood sugar dropped dangerously low. It was obvious Joe was upset, he couldn’t meet Nick’s gaze and he was avoiding talking to him about anything that wasn’t house-related. When his Mom told him to start gathering his stuff, Nick tried again to catch Joe’s gaze—signal him to ask him to stay—but he finally realized Joe was going to let him leave without talking to him about last night at all.

By sheer force of will, he cornered Joe in the kitchen. "Joe, we have to talk."

Joe looked panicked. "Not here, Mom and Dad—Frankie!—are here!"

Nick grabbed at Joe's flailing arm, but he didn’t move away. "Fine, not here, but we need to talk. I know last night was big. You're totally freaking out, but that's why we should talk."

Nick couldn't read the look that closed down over Joe's face, but he agreed to talk, and promised to call Nick later. Joe twisted his arm from Nick's grasp and fled.

***

Nick left Joe's house with his mind reeling. Last night had been what Nick had been aching for for so long. It was something that he and Joe had been dancing around for years with too long touches and longing gazes. It was a scary step for sure, but Nick wanted it and he thought Joe did too. Even if Joe was freaking out the last thing he expected was Joe treating Nick like he had the plague.

He fidgeted the entire car ride back to the house and then couldn't settle once he was there. He tried watching television, tried going over details for The Administration tour, even sat with Frankie and tried playing video games, but he couldn't concentrate.

He checked his phone throughout dinner and as every minute that passed his apprehension grew, that sick feeling returning, stronger. By the time ten o'clock rolled around he came to the conclusion Joe wasn't going to call. He thought maybe he should wait until Joe was ready to talk, but he didn't think he'd be able to sleep tonight if he didn't at least try.

His fingers trembled slightly as he dialed Joe. The phone rang and rang, and the sick feeling in the pit of stomach roiled. Finally, the ringing stopped. At first, Nick thought he'd gone to Joe's voicemail, but Joe's message didn't kick in; there was just static and white noise.

"Hello, hello? Joe?"

There was such a long stretch of silence that he almost hung up, but then he heard his name, soft and whispered. Joe's voice.

"Joe, are you there? It's so loud. Where are you?"

Finally, Joe answered. "At the house, the guys invited some people over as a house warming."

There was a party going on at Joe's house—and he hadn't been invited. The sick feeling spread, his chest ached. "Joe, we have to talk."

"Sorry, I can't really hear you. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"No, Joe, please. We need to talk now. I don't want to wait until tomorrow."

Joe was quiet again and he could hear the music in the background fade a little. Joe's voice was quiet, almost non-existent, when he answered. "I can't—I can't do this right now, Nicky." He was pleading—in a way Nick had never heard from Joe before. Nick looked at his phone in confusion and alarm.

He rushed out his words, afraid Joe was seconds away from hanging up. "Okay—okay, we don't have to, but please say you _will_ talk to me. I thought we both felt it—both wanted this. Joe? Answer me, please."

"I just can't." The phone went dead and Nick's heart sank.

***

Joe dodged Nick's phone calls during the next few days, only sending short generic text messages as Nick prepared to leave for Dallas. As each day passed, he felt the distance pushing between them growing wider and deeper. This is the longest they’ve ever gone without real communication, even when they've been on opposite sides of the country—the world—they've always talked. The morning he left for Dallas he sent Joe a text.

 _Don't be mad at me. We'll pretend nothing even happened. Please just come to Dallas like you planned. I don't think I can do this without you there._

He got on the plane, his stomach bubbling with worry Joe would ignore this text too. When they landed Nick was afraid to turn on his phone, too scared of what he might see—or in this case not see.

When his phone powered up and he saw the blinking light signaling a new message he nearly jumped from his seat. When he saw it was a message from Joe his heart raced. The message was only three words, but those three little words made Nick so happy and relieved he didn't even care that the plane had to wait for space at the gate.

 _i'll b there._

***

Joe was scheduled to arrive in Dallas a few days later, the morning of the opening performance, and Nick was sick with nerves waiting for him. He didn't know what to expect or how Joe would act. He promised himself he would take Joe's lead, that he wouldn't push and would do whatever Joe wanted so they would be okay again—so Joe would talk to him again—but he couldn’t chase away the thought that Joe might not ever be the way he was with him before.

Nick was at the venue all morning on the day of Joe’s arrival and he was sure he was driving everyone insane while he waited. He was distracted and jumpy and could barely think about the fact that it was his first solo show tonight. He thanked all the powers above that everyone thought that he _was_ just nervous about his first solo show, not the arrival of his older brother.

Sound check dragged on and Nick wondered if Joe changed his mind and decided to stay in LA. He was checking one of his guitars when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He did a double take because there Joe was, standing just off the side of the stage.

He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face and he took a quick second to give Joe a quick wave. Joe lifted his hand in a quick wave in return and after a brief moment returned his smile as well. The last few minutes the stage manager kept him on stage were torturous and as soon as he was released he handed off his guitar and hurried across the stage to Joe.

His first instinct was to hug Joe, but he wasn't sure how Joe would react to that after his last attempt at giving Joe a hug the morning he moved into his new house. Pulling up short, he hesitated before going in slowly for the hug. Joe looked awkward and unsure as well and then slowly reached out to pull Nick into a quick embrace.

"Dude, you sounded awesome out there."

Joe was obviously trying to act as normal as possible, so Nick followed along. He started talking about the sound and where he thought he might have been off. They hid in talking about the music, but it gave them a chance to relax around each other.

The more they talked, the more comfortable Nick felt and Joe seemed to be relaxing as well. Music had always been common ground; Nick was glad that hadn’t changed. While around everyone else, they still were both steadfastly ignoring that there was even the hint of a strain between them, but whenever they were left alone an awkward tension settled. Nick was still working on the theory that Joe had freaked out about them kissing because he still didn't really know exactly what Joe was thinking or feeling. He hoped once Joe felt comfortable he would tell Nick. If Joe needed to pretend right now that that night had never happened so they could go back to being just brothers then Nick would go along with it. Even if that wasn’t what _he_ wanted.

Backstage, as the start of the show grew closer, Joe managed to kept Nick calm and reassure him that he could do this alone.

Joe sat near, but not too close, making sure Nick ate his snack before going on stage. He held his hand tight while they prayed before it was time for Nick to go out on stage. At the last minute, as the stage manager was yelling for Nick to get in place, Joe pulled him back and whispered in his ear. "You're gonna be awesome. Now go out there and kick ass."

He lost sight of Joe once he was out on stage. The adrenaline high was different than being on stage with his brothers—no better or worse, just different. He could feel Joe there with him though. He could feel his gaze hot on him. When he thought he'd falter trying to talk to the crowd between songs, when his instinct was to look to his left to find Joe, it was as if he could hear Joe's voice in his ear telling him he could do it.

The show was over and he felt like he was flying and the one person he kept searching for, the one he wanted to share that with, was Joe. While searching the endless crowd of people congratulating him and slapping him on the back, he was nearly tackled by someone from behind. Before he even saw a face, Nick knew it was Joe's arms around him.

He was sweaty, his shirt damp and sticking to him, he didn't want Joe to let go, but too many people were jostling around them and eventually Joe had to break free. Nick's cheeks burned in embarrassment and pleasure, not because everyone was making a big deal about him, but because Joe whispered into his ear just before letting go of him, "I'm so proud of you."

***

Joe rode back to the house with Nick. The adrenaline from the show was starting to wear off and in the back seat of the van Nick rested his head on Joe's shoulder and let his eyes close. It was quiet in the van. Big Rob was driving; the radio turned down so low it was barely a murmur. Joe relaxed into Nick too as he babbled on about the show, his excitement spiking when he remembered a moment that he thought was extra good. It felt right again between them. Nick thought that maybe somehow they'd magically fixed the weirdness between them without even trying.

The house was quiet once they got inside. Mom and Dad had gotten back long before Nick and Joe. Mom was probably already asleep, but Nick could see the soft glow of light from his Dad's office.

He grabbed some juice from the kitchen and climbed the stairs behind Joe to his room. At his door, he reached out to circle his fingers gently around Joe's wrist. "Stay—we can talk some more." He leaned in, not sure what he was doing, why he was pushing this fragile truce they had come to. He ended up nuzzling his cheek to Joe's.

Joe didn’t move for a moment, not relaxing into the touch, but not pulling away either. Finally, Joe gently twisted his arm from Nick's hold and stepped back. Joe looked like Nick did when his blood sugar dropped dramatically—white and chalky—and slightly light-headed. He stepped back again, moving further from Nick. "I—I can't."

He stood in the hall watching Joe slip into his own bedroom, wondering how he'd gotten things so wrong. He crept up to Joe’s door quietly knocking and receiving no answer. He knocked again and pressed his ear to the door. He could hear the muffled scratching that told him Joe was leaning up against the other side of the door.

He raised his voice enough that Joe could hear him, “I didn’t mean it that way. I only wanted to talk—nothing more. Joe?”

He waited, hoping the door would open, and when it didn’t he whispered, ‘Goodnight, love you.’

When he woke the next morning, Joe was still asleep. He showered and dressed and Joe still hadn’t stirred. Dad kept reminding him they had to be at the radio station by seven and if they didn’t leave now they’d be late. He lingered by Joe’s door for a second longer and then hurried out to the car.

By the time he returned, it was late morning. He greeted mom and went straight to look for Joe only to find that Joe was gone. He went back to ask his mom and was told that Joe had already taken a flight back to LA. The sick feeling from a few days ago returned with a vengeance.

***

Nick arrived in Nashville quietly, distracted. He spent the day rehearsing, trying to smooth out the rough spots he had in Dallas. He checked his phone periodically, but there were no messages from Joe. He’d already sent two texts and without a response he wasn't sending another. He had his pride after all.

Nick went over in his mind everything that had happened _that_ night in his parent's house. Joe was obviously more upset by what happened than he was letting Nick know. If he had to leave Dallas and go back to LA without even talking to Nick, things were so much worse than Nick ever thought.

He replayed every moment, every move wondering if he'd read Joe's responses wrong, if Joe hadn’t been ready for that step. Could he have been that blind? That oblivious? His stomach turned and he had to rush to the restroom afraid he was going to be sick. He stood at the vanity, his head hanging over the sink, panting.

Nick kept remembering the look on Joe's face when he asked him to come into his room after the show in Dallas; it was more than just being freaked out about something happening too fast.

He stumbled back away from the counter and his back made a dull thud when it connected to the wall. Sliding slowly down to a crouched position, Nick wondered how badly he'd fucked up his brother.

***

He worked out more kinks during the Nashville show and was feeling more confident about being on stage on his own. It was funny how he could feel the worst he's ever felt in his life—even worse than when he first got diagnosed—and yet his performances on stage were some of the best of his life.

He’d finally gotten a message from Joe; it was brief and sort of formal, but it was contact. Joe didn't mention what happened at all, but repeatedly told Nick he was doing an awesome job on tour.

When they finally spoke, it wasn’t one of their better conversations; Joe stuck to easy topics, music, the tour, what Joe was up to in LA, things that didn't even remotely come close to what was really going on with them.

Nick was utterly confused. Joe was so messed up about what happened between them he seemed to be afraid around Nick, yet he was trying to pretend things were still alright. Why wouldn’t Joe talk to him about what was bothering him? No matter how many times Nick tried Joe shut him down—said not now, I’m not ready.

Nick was sure he wouldn't hear from Joe again for at least a few days, after Nick tried again to tell him he was sorry, he didn’t realize Joe didn’t feel that way about Nick. So he was surprised to see Joe's name flash on the display of his phone late the night before his DC show. Nick was already in his bunk, mostly asleep when his phone’s buzzing stirred him. He almost didn’t answer it, but the buzzing had already infiltrated his sleep.

It still had to be pretty early on the West Coast so he was surprised to hear Joe shouting like he was calling from a crowded party.

“Joe? Joe?” He plugged a finger against his other ear trying to hear Joe.

“Nicky! Where are you? You should get over here. I’m having a blast.”

It was loud wherever Joe was, but Nick could still hear the telltale slur in his voice.

“Joe, are you drunk?”

He heard Joe snort and giggle. “No. Maybe. Yes, definitely. Nicky, you should be here. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

He can almost see the grin on Joe’s face. “Joe, are you okay?”

“I’m great! I feel awesome.”

Obviously, Joe was feeling no pain. There was some rustling and then a very female voice muffled in the background.

“Joe, are you there? Joe?”

It was another few moments before Joe came back on the line. “Nick, I wanted to tell you that you’re gonna be awesome tomorrow, cause you’re awesome all the time.”

“Joe.”

“I’ll see you in New York, Nicky. We’ll have some fun.”

“Joe, Joe.” Nick called down the line, but the silence told him Joe was already gone.

Nick stared at the phone and wondered what the hell had just happened. On the one hand, it was good to hear the old happy Joe, on the other he was worried that Joe not only was drinking, but had sounded like he'd had a few too many drinks.

He rolled over to go back to bed, what would happen when Joe got to New York heavy on his brain.

***

Nick had been pacing all morning as he waited for Joe’s plane to land. He had already done his press that morning and had come back to the hotel for a nap. He didn’t really think he’d be able to fall asleep, but he was more exhausted than he thought and was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. He’d slept deeply and when he woke his first thought was Joe should have been here already.

He washed his face and brushed his teeth before calling Joe’s cell. It rang long enough that Nick thought it would go to voice mail, but just before he clicked the end button Joe picked up.

“Nick, you awake?”

“Yeah—how’d you know I was sleeping?”

“Check the main room, my stuff's there. I didn’t want to wake you when I got in. I’m down in the restaurant. I just ordered a late lunch. Come down and eat with me.”

“Awesome. I’ll be right down.”

He ended the call and put his shoes on. Joe had sounded fine, but Nick had gotten so bad at reading his brother in the last few weeks, he wasn’t sure he could trust that. He left his bedroom in the suite and took notice of Joe’s duffle on the couch in the common room. In the hall he knocked on Big Rob’s door and hurried him toward the elevator—both nerves and excitement driving him to see Joe now.

Downstairs he found Joe in the hotel’s restaurant. He was with Carl waiting at a table for Nick and Big Rob.

He approached the table on the side Joe was sitting, expecting him to stand and hug him the way he always did when they haven’t seen each other for more than a few days, but all he did was look up and say hello.

Nick hesitated; almost disappointed he didn’t have to fend off the awkward public display of affection that often occurred when Joe was around. Joe looked up expectantly and Nick forgot about whatever he was going to say and sat.

Joe pushed the menu across the table and asked, “What time do you have to be at the theater?”

He glanced at his watch and realized he’d slept longer than he thought. “Soon.”

Nick talked about the tour, but even with such a neutral topic there was a heavy air of awkwardness hanging over the conversation. The waitress came by to take his order and he turned his attention back to Joe, “You coming with me or will you just be there later?”

Joe sipped at his water like he needed a moment think how he was going to answer. “If you don’t mind I might take a nap before heading over. I didn’t get much sleep on the plane, but we can grab food after the show and go out.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Go out? Joe, what do you have planned? I can’t be out until all hours. I’ve got another show tomorrow.”

“Come on! We’re in New York! We can have a little fun.”

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s tour, I’m not going out anywhere.”

Joe glanced down and smirked—a smirk he almost didn't even recognize on Joe's face.

He shook his head; everything about the whole conversation was so unlike Joe. “I said ‘no.’”

“Please, Nick, I promise I won’t keep you out past your bedtime. I already checked you don’t have to be up before sunrise tomorrow. I just want to go out for a bit."

The waitress arrived with their food and Nick’s protest was lost. It didn’t matter anyway; Nick knew if this was Joe’s way of trying to repair this riff between them he would go wherever Joe asked.

***

He didn't see Joe again until just before the show was about to start. Both he and Kevin were in his dressing room teasing him that there were girls in the audience hyperventilating over him. He pretended to be annoyed, telling them to shut up, but secretly he kind of liked hearing about the mass of people (mostly girls) in the crowd who were only screaming his name- not a mix of Kevin and Joe's as well.

Tonight's show would be a little different since both Kevin and Joe would be joining him on stage. Since things had been so stilted with Joe, he was a little nervous to think how being on stage with him would be.

As it turned out, the show was awesome. Being on stage again with Joe wasn't weird at all; Joe even joined him at the piano, his hands gently resting on his shoulders. Afterwards, instead of heading back to their hotel, Joe directed the driver to someplace on the Upper East Side. It was dark and seemed smoky even though no one inside was actually smoking. They had a small group with them, but from the way Joe was talking he expected people to be joining them.

Nick had thought they were just eating, but when he looked at the menu he realized the 'restaurant' wasn't so much a restaurant, but a wine bar. Nick order food anyway because he was hungry and had been promised food, but found that most of the people that had joined them were ordering drinks and wine—including Joe.

Nick watched carefully, hoping the waitress would deny him, but her eyes drifted over him with recognition and nodded. He wasn’t surprised that Joe order wasn’t turned down, he seen plenty of underage stars get served, just this once though, he wished fame didn’t buy them things they shouldn’t have.

As he looked around their table, he realized that he barely knew anyone's name. He tried to get Joe's attention, but he kept moving seats, talking to all these people like they were all his best friend. It didn't escape Nick's attention either that Joe's glass never seemed to be empty—and not due to lack of drinking.

He was finally able to get Joe to sit next to him for a moment. He whispered in a short, hushed tone. "Joe, who are all these people? We've never hung out with an entourage. That's not us; do you even know them all?"

Joe sucked down the last of his drink and almost immediately the waitress was setting down another one. "They’re friends; most of them live in LA, but were in town tonight. Chill out, we're just having some fun."

He couldn't believe his ears. Joe had never told him to 'chill out' like that before, like he was some little goody-two-shoes kid putting a damper on a good time.

He looked away and clenched his jaw, swallowing his gut reaction to say something nasty back. He looked at his half-eaten plate in front of him and back to where Joe had another drink in his hand and some girl trying to steal his attention.

Nick poked his fingers into Joe's side not caring if it was a little harder than necessary. "I'm going back to the hotel."

Joe turned to face him, his eyes glassy and a loose smile on his face. "Aw, don't be like that Nicky."

Nick looked down to where Joe had a hand resting on the thigh of the girl sitting next to him.

"I have another show tomorrow and need to get back. You can either stay or come with me, but I'm leaving."

He stood, sure that Joe was standing up right behind him, but when he glanced back the girl next to Joe had practically slipped onto his lap. Joe set his empty glass on the table. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Nick turned around so Joe wouldn't see the hurt on his face. He found Big Rob and Carl and told them he was ready to leave, but Joe was staying behind. Carl moved closer to where Joe sat and Nick left with Big Rob without looking back.

***

He didn't sleep well that night, too upset about Joe's seriously uncharacteristic behavior. The next morning he got ready bleary-eyed, not ready at all for the day ahead of him. On his way out of the room he peeked into Joe's room in the suite—it looked like he'd just dropped his clothes in a pile and fell face first onto the bed.

He carefully closed the door and left the suite to find Kevin. Kevin was in his room with Danielle. Fumbling for the right words, Nick tried to tell Kevin he needed to talk to him alone without offending Danielle. Luckily, Danielle recognized something was bothering Nick and headed out to find their Mom before Nick had to awkwardly ask to talk with Kevin alone.

They ordered room service, enough so that there would be food waiting for Danielle when she returned and sat in the living room area of the room.

"What's up?"

Nick twirled the curl that fell into his eyes nervously, how could he explain there was something wrong with Joe without explaining _everything_? "After the show last night I went out with Joe."

Before he could even continue his thought Kevin interrupted him. "Did he get drunk?"

His eyes widened in surprise, "Who told you?"

“No one, but I could guess.” Kevin reached across to where this morning’s _New York Post_ was on the coffee table and flipped to _Page Six_. There was a photo of Joe leaving the bar in the late night hours, surrounded by people.

Nick looked up, horrified, if the paparazzi had gotten wind of Joe’s recent behavior his parents were going to be asking a lot of questions. "Don’t worry, the blurb just mentions Joe being seen leaving the restaurant, they don’t even hint at him drinking. But I know he’s been drinking a lot recently, Mom does too. You know the guys don't report back to Mom and Dad about what we do when we're out on our own, but Carl was worried enough about it that he mentioned it to Mom. Apparently since he moved out he's been drinking like this almost every night."

Nick was stunned; he’d hoped the drinking was just a fluke, but if Joe was getting drunk almost every night things were so much worse than he thought. He was quiet for so long that Kevin finally had to ask him if he was alright.

Shaking his head, he tried to wrap his brain around the information. "Has anyone talked to him about it?"

"Mom tried and he just got pissy with her. And when I brought it up he just blew me off. Mom thinks it's just rebellion and has been mostly worried about keeping it out of the media. You saw him though, right? You see it too, there's something more going on with him."

He felt his cheeks burn. There was definitely something more going on with Joe and Nick knew exactly what it was. The problem was him; he kissed Joe—he did things with Joe. Things that made him so upset that he was acting in ways he never would have before.

Breakfast arrived, but Nick could hardly eat. By the time Danielle returned to the room, Nick was so jumpy Kevin had started to look at him funny. He quickly said goodbye and hurried from the room.

He stopped by his room to grab his things and saw that Joe was still passed out. He stood in the open doorway and wondered what he could do to make Joe better. He swallowed thickly and fled the room.

Nick did a few radio call-in interviews, but was so distracted he barely remembered what he’d said. Sound check took longer than normal because there were some technical difficulties that cropped up and that just added to Nick’s stress. By the time he got back to his dressing room, he had worked himself into a tight ball of tension.

He checked his phone and was momentarily disappointed that there were no messages from Joe. He deleted three or four potential messages before deciding he should just be casual and pretend like nothing out of the ordinary happened last night and nothing was wrong.

 _Where are you? You on your way to the venue yet?_

He rested his phone on the table and sat down. Waiting, hoping it would buzz with a response. His fingers tapped against his thigh and his stomach was a ball of nerves. He kept opening the top of his water bottle, but closing it before he took a drink. He wished he had a Diet Coke, but there was no way he was breaking his resolution after only eight days.

Finally when his phone buzzed, he snatched it up, but just before he thumbed down to the new message a wave of dread washed over him, his already rolling stomach lurched. He _knew_ whatever Joe had texted was going to be bad.

 _sorry, bro, not gonna make it 2night. heading back to LA. i know your gonna be awesome toniht tho :^)_

It didn't register at first. Nick kept staring at the weird smiley face at the end of the text trying to figure out what the little wedge symbol was until he realized it Joe had added a nose to his smiley face. It wasn't until minutes later that his brain caught up to the information he had read and realized Joe wasn't coming—he'd gone clear across the country to avoid the conversation he knew Nick would try to force on him today..

***

The show that night was a blur. Nick didn’t remember a single detail of the entire set. It was only when one of the roadies took his guitar and he felt the relief of being off stage that he realized the show was over.

He went straight to the hotel afterwards, telling everyone he wanted to get to bed because he had to be up early for the drive to Philly the next day. Big Rob left him at the door of his suite. It was quiet inside; Joe’s room looked empty—bed perfectly made like it had never been slept in.

Nick took a shower, but while a nice, warm shower after a performance usually relaxed him, he remained tense and agitated.

He paced his room trying to decide if he should call Joe or not. Finally, he flopped back on his bed and grabbed up his phone. He’d never get to sleep if he didn’t at least try to talk to Joe. He thumbed through his contact list and clicked on Joe’s name.

His stomach churned as he listened to the dull ringing in the earpiece. He didn’t know when exactly Joe caught a flight and kind of hoped Joe hadn’t landed yet and his phone would go straight to voicemail.

The ringing continued though until Joe answered. “Nick! How was the show? I bet you were awesome.”

Joe was drinking again and instead of feeling overwhelming concern like he had felt last night he was pissed.

“You’re drunk.”

“Nicky, it’s not a big deal. I’m just having some fun.”

He clenched a fist and fought the urge to yell. “This is not having fun. Acting out like this isn’t the way to deal. We need to talk, Joe. Meet me in Boston—please.”

He could hear Joe breathing through the phone and the longer he didn’t answer the more the feeling of dread grew in Nick’s gut. “Joe? Did you hear me?”

“I heard you, but I can’t do this right now. I’m not coming to Boston.”

Nick inhaled sharply; Joe had never said no to him before.

He was desperate. “Please, we need to talk—please just talk to me. Tell me what’s going on in your head.”

Joe ignored his pleading. “I need time to think before I can talk to you about this, just give me a little space. I’ll text you tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

The call disconnected, but Nick sat frozen with the phone still to his ear. Okay—he could work with this, Joe needed time, but he didn’t say he wouldn’t talk about it with Nick. It still hurt, but it gave Nick some hope.

***

After another shitty night’s rest, Nick decided giving Joe his time was one thing but he couldn’t play Joe’s game pretending everything was fine either. The tour kept him busy, they had added second dates in a lot of the cities and he buried himself in making every aspect of the show perfect.

Getting up on stage every night alone tired him out more than it did when he was up there with his brothers, so the sparse text messages and brief stilted phone calls and voice messages to and from Joe didn't seem entirely uncalled for.

Except…everyday something happened that made him immediately want to call Joe and tell him. Every time he heard from Garbo or Jack about how worried they were about Joe’s behavior he wanted hop on a plane out of whatever city he was in and fly home to Joe. No one had ever accused Nick of not being stubborn though and every time his resolve faltered and had him reaching for his phone, he remembered he was giving Joe the space he asked for.

***

When the tour first started the LA dates seemed so far away, but now that he was headed home to California, he couldn’t believe a month had passed by. He was, again, a ball of nerves, though not because of the shows, but because he was going to see Joe again.

The flight from Denver to LA was uneventful; he tried to sleep, but he was too keyed up to actually get any rest. One semi-bright spot was the canceling of the second Denver date and how it gave him two whole days to rest.

He was home quicker than he thought he'd be and Mom was waiting to greet him with a late lunch. He caught up with Mom, telling her some of his funny stories for the more recent shows and playing with Elvis. When he finally realized he'd been home for a few hours already and hadn't heard a peep from Joe—even though he’d been sure to text Joe his flight information; he decided to he was going over to Joe's house to talk to him face to face. Space or no space, it was killing him being this close to Joe and not seeing him. If Joe would just explain a little Nick wouldn’t feel so lost in this whole mess.

Mom looked relieved when he told her where he was headed. She didn't really know how bad things had gotten with Joe, but she knew something was definitely wrong. Like a lot of people, Nick knew she thought him being home from the road would fix whatever the problem was.

He couldn't tell her that _he_ was the cause of the problem. She sent him off, reminded him to be home early—even though he didn't have a show the next five days after that were going to hectic.

He grabbed his satchel and bent over the back of the couch to kiss Mom on the cheek. Hopefully, he could prove Mom right and shake some sense into Joe.

***

Nick hadn't been to Joe's new house very often; just a few times before Joe had officially moved in. After that, Nick had been off to Dallas almost immediately. He was buzzed into the gate, but it could have been Garbo or Jack letting him in. He hadn't heard from Joe all day.

He parked in the driveway and walked up to the door, but before he could knock the door swung open and Nick was staring at Joe.

Despite his recent partying spree, Joe looked good—his hair was artfully messy and his t-shirt and jeans looked worn and comfortable. They stood staring at each other, each unsure of what to do next. Finally, Joe stepped back to let him into the house and Nick followed behind as Joe padded barefoot into the living room.

The room looked lived in, even if the furniture was obviously picked out by a decorator. Joe sat in the corner of the long couch, one leg tucked under the other and his body turned to face where Nick sat next to him.

For the first time in his life Nick didn't know how to talk to Joe—couldn't see what he was thinking written all over his face. "So—"

"I can't believe you've been on the road for a month and you've only got five shows left. Everyone says you've been rockin' it out there, dude."

Nick didn't know how Joe could look so relaxed when Nick felt like he was going to jump out of his skin trying to keep from fidgeting.

"Thanks, but that's not what I came over to talk about. Joe, we've got to talk about what happened and what's been going on with you."

He saw Joe flinch and knew that he wasn't as comfortable as he pretended to be.

Joe wouldn't look at him. "Everything's fine. I'm fine."

The anger that had been building in him over the last few weeks bubbled to the surface and he had to force himself not to yell. "You are _not_ fine. You haven't been fine since the night—" He stumbled over the words he hadn't actually ever voiced out loud. "Since we—since the night you moved out."

He was a coward; he couldn't even say the words.

He took a deep breath and tried to refocus. "Joe, going out every night, drinking and partying with the crowd of people you've been hanging out with is not fine."

Joe tried to fluff him off, still not looking at Nick and attempting to get up from the couch. “You haven’t been here. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Besides, I don’t have to answer to my little brother about what I do with my free time.”

A shock of hurt burst through him, Joe had never spoken to him like that before. He reached out to grab at Joe's wrist to keep him from leaving and all the fight drained out him as he sagged into Nick’s touch.

Joe sat back down, "I'm just having some fun, so what if I go out for a few drinks, you don't have to be such a prude about it."

"I'm not being a prude. If you want to drink that's your choice, but this is more than a few beers with the guys. You're going out and getting trashed every night. Garbo told me you've come home and puked four out of five nights last week. That's not a 'few' drinks."

Joe squinted his eyes and looked down the hall. He mumbled under his breath, but Nick still heard him. "I knew roommates were a bad idea."

"They're just worried about you and so is everyone else. Forget that you'll wind up plastered all over the covers of People and US Weekly, you're going to hurt yourself."

He twisted one of his curls and drew in a breath, it was now or never.

"I'm sorry. I never would have kissed you if I thought you didn't feel the same way. I get it now; you don’t feel that way about me. But please, you've got stop hurting yourself like this. I'll do whatever you want, I'll stay away if that's what will make you feel better, but I can't stand by and let you get so fucked up either. Please just tell me what I can do to make things right."

A heavy breath shuddered out of him and the queasy feeling that had been growing in his belly as he spoke settled. He waited, watching as Joe continued to stare down into his lap and resolutely not look at Nick.

Finally, Joe started to say something, his voice was barely a whisper and he had to cough and clear his throat before Nick could hear him. "I need you to go."

Every bit of hope that Nick had that he could fix things with Joe came crashing down. He swallowed down the sour taste that had risen in the back of his throat and nodded. Mechanically, he picked up his bag and stood from the couch. He walked around Joe, careful not to brush him on his way out. As he came around the couch though, he felt Joe finger's lightly touch his forearm. He stopped, waited.

Joe kept his gaze trained on where his fingers rested on Nick's arm. "Not for good. I just need some more time. After—after your tour is done we can talk again. And for the record, you didn't misunderstand me, you didn't read me wrong. I wanted you too. I just didn’t realize how it would make me feel after."

A fierce wave of relief washed over him as Nick let what Joe said sink in. As he walked toward the front door and out to his car, he wondered how he was going to make it through the next few days.


	2. Chapter 2

The drive back to the house was a blur; all Nick could think about was what Joe had said. It was a relief that Nick hadn’t been so wrong about how Joe had felt, but he was confused by what Joe meant by how he felt after. He wished Joe had just explained, it was killing him not knowing. 

He was home earlier than he planned, but late enough that Frankie was already asleep and Mom and Dad were up in bed watching television already. He wandered around the empty house before ending up in the kitchen to fix himself a sandwich. He wasn't really hungry, but he needed to eat something. 

He took the plate up to his room and changed into his pajamas. He settled onto his bed, his plate balanced on his stomach, and patted the empty space on the bed next to him, signaling Elvis to hop up with him. He flipped listlessly through the channels on the TV until he found a movie he hadn't seen before. 

The movie wasn't particularly good, but it kept his attention just engaged enough that he wasn't torturing himself thinking about Joe.

He must have been more tired than he thought because the next thing he was aware of was the persistent ringing of his phone. He blinked furiously, trying to rouse himself enough to figure out where he'd left his phone. The ringing stopped before he could find it, but seconds later it started up again. He rolled to the right, his empty sandwich plate dropping to the floor with a heavy thud. 

Behind him, Elvis lifted his head and whined before readjusting himself and falling back to sleep. Nick groped on the floor for his bag and finally found his phone. He answered without looking at the display. 

"’Ello?" There was a noise on the other end of the line, but no one answered him. He said again, louder, "Hello?"

"Nicky."

Joe's voice was barely a whisper on the other end of the line. 

He glanced at his watch; it was just past three in the morning. "Joe, what's wrong? Are you alright? Is Carl with you?"

His heart and mind started racing as he thought of all the things that could be wrong.

There was another long bout of silence and when Joe spoke again he didn't sound drunk, he sounded freaked out. "I need you to pick me up. Please, come pick me up."

Nick was already out of bed grabbing his discarded jeans and looking for his shoes. "Where's Carl? How come he's not with you? Should I bring Big Rob with me?"

"No!" If it was even possible Joe sounded even more freaked out at the idea of anyone else coming with Nick. "I sent Carl home before I went out. Don't bring Big Rob. Just, please, come get me."

Moving automatically, he had somehow gotten himself dressed in the few minutes he was on the phone with Joe. He picked up his bag and his keys. "Tell me where you are."

*** 

Nick pulled his truck into the parking lot of the hotel and followed Joe's instructions not to pull up to the front entrance. He drove passed a row of cars to the end furthest from the well-lit entrance. At first he didn't see Joe and thought he was in the wrong spot, but as he got closer he could see Joe sitting on the edge of a giant potted tree.

From the car he looked fine, no injuries, not even drunk. When he hopped up into the truck though Nick could see his eyes were blood shot, even if he wasn't drunk now, he'd been drinking at some point this evening.

He put the truck in drive and started driving toward Joe's house. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

Joe was staring out the passenger side window, looking slightly green. Nick couldn't tell if it was from alcohol or whatever happened earlier. Joe stayed quiet.

"I came out in the middle of the night to get you. I think I deserve to know what's going on here. Joe, please, talk to me."

Still staring out the window, he never looked over at Nick. "Let's just get back to my place, okay." His voice cracked when he spoke and Nick wished he could see what was going on in his eyes.

*** 

They pulled up to Joe's dark house in silence. Before Nick could turn the truck off Joe had hopped out and was striding across the driveway to the front door. He left the front door wide open behind him and Nick followed him in.

A soft glow filtered in from a small light in the kitchen leaving most of the open living room in darkness. Joe was pacing in front of the couch when Nick found him.

Running his fingers through his short hair, Joe knocked his glasses slightly askew. It made him look even more scared and desperate. 

"I did something stupid, Nicky. Really, really stupid."

Nick's gut clenched as he tried to think of all the things that could have left Joe so unraveled.

He moved closer, hands out in gesture of comfort. "Come on and sit down, whatever it is it can't be that bad."

Joe looked at him like he might actually cry. "It is. It's so bad."

Forgetting about being careful not to touch Joe, Nick grabbed at his elbows and pushed him toward the couch. He sat next to him, looking into his eyes for some hint as to what was wrong. "Tell me, I can only help if you tell me."

He was thinking of having to make middle-of-the-night phone calls to his parents or dealing with cops and lawyers, when Joe stopped trembling and finally looked up to meet Nick's gaze.

"I slept with someone."

He nearly doubled in two at the sharp intake of breath that cut through him. Of everything that Joe could have said to him, this was honestly one of the last things he expected Joe to confess. The frantic string of contingency plans that had been running through his head came to a screeching halt.

"W-what?"

"I—fuck—I didn't mean for it to happen. I just met her in the lounge at the hotel tonight."

He didn't know what to even say and he sounded as flustered as Joe. "Wait, start from the beginning."

Joe sagged back into the couch and sighed. "I went out tonight after you left earlier. I met some friends in the lounge at the hotel you picked me up at. I was drinking and did a few rounds of shots. I was a little messed up from talking to you earlier."

Nick cut him off. "Are you saying this is my fault?"

"No! I just wasn't thinking straight. I went up to the bar and while I was waiting this woman sitting alone started to talk to me. She was nice, here in town for a job interview and staying at the hotel. She was just making conversation, I honestly am not sure she even knew who I was. She was probably a few years older than me and not dressed at all like the rest of the women in the bar. She said she's in law school and is doing this whole big interview process that's totally stressful and needed a drink before heading up to bed. I don't even know what else we talked about, but I had another few drinks at the bar while we talked and when she asked if I wanted to come up to her room I said yes."

On one hand Nick was relieved that Joe hadn't gotten himself into something illegal or one of the other million horrible scenarios that had ran through his head from the time Joe called him for a ride until the moment he told him he'd had sex, but on the other hand he was pissed Joe had gone out and had slept with some random woman.

Another horrible thought shot through his mind. "Were you, uh, careful?"

Joe blinked; looking half confused, but then nodded. "Yeah, yes, totally." He ran his fingers through his hair and tugged a little at the longer hairs on one side. "Nick, I didn't want it to be this way. I was so stupid."

He could see how upset Joe was, most people didn't realize that of the three of them Joe was—up until tonight—the most likely to actually make it until his wedding night a virgin. While Nick took his religious beliefs seriously, with the way he felt about Joe he kind of knew he wouldn't be getting married anytime soon—if ever—and had come to terms a while ago that he'd eventually have sex before marriage.

As bad as he felt seeing Joe this distraught, he was angry and growing angrier by the second. He stood abruptly and Joe startled. "I'm leaving. If Mom and Dad wake up and I'm not there they're going to be really worried."

Joe grabbed his wrist and pleaded with him. "I'm sorry, Nick. Please don't be mad at me."

Nick couldn't look at him. "I'm not mad. I just…gotta go."

He freed his wrist from Joe's grasp and started toward the door.

Joe called out desperately. "I'll see you at the show tomorrow, okay?"

He didn't stop to turn back. "Yeah, sure, whatever." 

*** 

The next few days were torture. For weeks Joe had barely spoken to him, he had needed space, he needed time to think, but now every time Nick picked up his phone there was another call or text from Joe. It’s like the tables had turned and now Nick was doing everything he could to avoid contact. But there were times where he couldn't entirely avoid Joe and he did his best to act like he wasn't upset with him in front of everyone else. 

He put everything he had into the last five shows. He was at the theater early, ran long sound checks and felt really connected to his audience. Everyone thought his perfectionist streak was maybe getting the better of him, but really he just needed to occupy his mind with something else, anything else besides Joe.

He came off stage every night wrung out and exhausted. He bypassed everyone, including Joe and always headed straight home to bed.

He couldn't believe a few days ago he would have done anything to get Joe to talk to him and now he didn't even want to see his face.

After the Berkeley show he went home with a tightness in his chest that he couldn't quite shake. Tour was over and he was thrilled with how everything turned out, but he had nothing to hide behind now, nothing to keep him from facing Joe.

*** 

He spent most of the day after the Berkeley show sleeping. He was entitled to some rest and it was good way to avoid Joe for one more day. 

The next day, after he had eaten and showered, he realized he couldn’t sit around all night in the house; he'd drive himself crazy. He made a few phone calls and was out the door headed to a coffee shop to meet some friends. 

The streets were crowded and Nick had to park further away than he would have liked, but he walked quickly and everyone seemed more interested in the people flashily dressed heading to the bars and clubs along the way.

He slipped into the coffee house and was surprised by how loud the crowd was. There was a band playing on the small stage and a group that on another night would probably have been in a bar or club was crowded around them.

He found his friends sitting in a booth far enough away from the crowd and the band to be inconspicuous. Callie jumped up from her place on the end of the booth to give him a hug and everyone else smiled and waved. It had been over a month since he'd seen any of his friends. Mark and Jake were involved in some heated discussion about a video game that Nick couldn't follow without making them back track.

He ordered a decaf latte determined to stick with his new thing of cutting back on the caffeine. He tried to actively listen as his friends talked, but he hadn't been at Jake's party two weeks ago, or when Callie and Lara had prank called Mark, so the stories just weren’t as funny to him.

His mind began to wander and his gaze drifted to where the band had just finished their set. The crowd had dispersed from the stage a bit and he noticed a girl at the table across from where his group was sitting, staring at him.

He was used to being stared and at first he was put off by it—after all couldn't he just have coffee with his friends without being stared at like a fish in a bowl? When she smiled timidly though, he didn't mind so much.

He tried to get back into the conversation his friends were having, but he could feel the heat of the girl's gaze on him. He glanced over again and took a better look at her. She was maybe a few years older than him, but probably not much older than Joe. She had medium-length light brown hair and was dressed much more casually than her friends—they looked like they were heading out to a club once they left the coffee house.

He'd given up altogether trying to follow his friend’s conversation and was now was watching the girl as closely as she was watching him. When she stood and walked over to the counter she threw Nick another smile, this one not nearly as shy.

Nick stood quickly and his friends looked at him curiously.

"I'm going to get another coffee. Anyone want anything?"

Everyone shook their heads saying they were fine, but Nick was already halfway across the room. He got in line just behind the girl, hoping that the long line would continue to move slowly.

Once he was standing right next to the girl he didn't know what to say. He shuffled his feet a little. "Um, hi. I'm Nick, nice to meet you."

The girl blushed, but didn't act nervous. "I know who you are. I'm Amy, nice to meet you too."

The way she emphasized nice made him think she meant anything but nice.

"So, uh, did you come out to see the band or just to hang out with friends?" He glanced back at the table she left and noticed it seemed they didn't know-or care- Amy was gone.

She looked over in the same direction. "Neither, really. My friends and I decided to come out and visit LA before our spring semester started; I got a better deal on my plane flight if I flew in today. The rest of my friends are coming in tomorrow. My cousin over there took pity on me on my first night in LA and invited me out with her. I kind of wish I had stayed in the hotel though, she and her friends are not exactly the type of girls I hang out with."

The line moved forward and Amy ordered a small latte and stepped to the side while Nick ordered another decaf and a sugar-free cookie. Once they both had paid, they stood awkwardly near the counter, neither wanting to go back to their respective tables. By this time, Amy's cousin and her friends had abandoned their table and moved back toward the stage where the band was getting ready to start their second set. Nick's friends had noticed him talking to someone and Mark had raised an eyebrow silently asking if he needed saving from a fan, but Nick shook his head and broke a piece of his cookie off. "You want a piece?"

Amy shrugged and took the piece from him. "Sure, thanks. It looks like we lost our table, do you mind if I hang with you for a bit?"

"Absolutely, come sit with us."

They walked back to the table and Nick made introductions. Everyone talked for a bit and Nick learned that Amy was from Maryland and was about to start the spring semester of her junior year at a college in Pennsylvania. 

The coffee house had started to get really crowded during the band's second set and Lara suggested they go for a few evening rounds of bowling, nodding discreetly at Nick as she invited Amy along to join them.

Everyone stood and moved to get rid of their empty cups, but Amy stood off to the side. 

Nick slung his bag across his chest. "Do you want to come? You're more than welcome." He paused. "Unless you have to stay with your cousin."

"No, not at all. I think they plan on going out to club after this anyway and a crowded club full of douchebags is not my scene." She reached out and touched the sleeve of Nick's jacket and looked at Nick through her thick dark lashes, not unlike Joe’s. "I think I'm just going to head back to the hotel." 

For a moment Nick deflated, disheartened that she would rather go back to an empty hotel room than hang out with him, but than what she was saying—or not saying—clicked.

His eyes widened and wondered if she was only asking a guy she met an hour ago in a coffee house back to her hotel room because he was Nick Jonas or if she did stuff like this all the time. Her invitation seemed practiced. Perfectly smooth.

His friends were waiting and he had a decision to make. Any other time something like this had happened he would have blown it off, but tonight was different. If Joe could do it, so could he.

"Yeah, definitely, let me just tell me friends to go on without me."

*** 

Amy told her cousin she was going back to the hotel and Nick walked with her to his truck. She directed him to a hotel that was away from the more expensive hotels that he and his family would have stayed in. Her room was still nice, two double beds and a small balcony. 

"You're lucky you're seeing this room now because after a few hours with four girls and all their crap, this place would look like a bomb went off in it."

He laughed and imagined what it would be like to just go off for a few days with friends, hang out at the beach.

Dropping his bag on the floor he shrugged his jacket off and sat next to Amy on one of the beds. The tension and anticipation he felt was new, he'd never just hooked up with someone he barely knew-hardly anyone at all. He didn't know where to look or if he should try to be romantic.

He wondered if Joe thought about that when he was with that woman.

It turned out Nick didn't have to make the first move though; Amy reached up, her palm flat against his cheek and pulled him forward into a kiss.

It was hot and wet and she immediately slipped her tongue into his mouth. His hands hovered near her waist and when his fingers touched the slip of bare skin where her shirt had shifted up she moaned into his mouth.

He found it was easier to do this than it had been with Miley or Selena. There was no worry they'd stop him, no worry they would think he was pushing too hard, too fast. Amy had invited him here for one thing and one thing only. 

Shifting for better leverage, he moved Amy further up on the bed and laid her out on her back. He pushed his hands up under her shirt and felt the warm skin of belly. His hands stopped briefly to cup her breasts through her bra as he lifted the shirt over her head. She was wearing a skimpy bra made of purple lace. 

He leaned down to suck at the rise of flesh peeking out of her bra. He traced the strap lightly with his fingers and then pulled it down so he could get his mouth onto her nipple. He tongued at the hardened nub and she twisted her fingers into the curls at the back of his head to drag him closer.

He blindly pulled at the clasp at her back and every time she arched to give his hand space, her breast pushed up into his mouth. Finally, he'd freed her from the bra and he tossed it to side. While he had worked on the bra, Amy had somehow opened all the buttons on his shirt. She was trying to push it off his shoulders, but it was twisted and caught up in the t-shirt he wore underneath. 

He pulled back and straddled one of her thighs as he pulled off his shirts and tossed them in the same direction Amy's bra had gone. She touched his chest and traced her fingers down his belly until she wrapped her hands around his back and pulled him down to kiss her again.

They kissed sloppily, Nick moving to kiss her neck and collar bone, eager to get back to her breasts. He sealed his lips around one of her nipples enjoying the supple roundness under his mouth.

One of her hands started to press down on his shoulder and he looked up at her wondering if she wanted him to stop. Before he can even ask what was wrong she spread her legs wider and pushed him further down her body. 

He knew exactly what she wanted, but he'd never done that before for anyone. He slid down the bed and fumbled with the button and zipper of her jeans. He pulled at the waistband dragging the material over her hips. She was wearing soft grey cotton underwear and it struck him that he'd never seen a girl just in her underwear before up close and live in color.

Amy kicked the jeans from her feet and leaned forward to grab his hand. It was the first time either of them had spoken since they'd started this and the breathiness of her voice startled him. "You alright?"

He twisted and sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from her. "I just—uh—I've never done this before."

She shifted up next to him, her pale thigh pressed against his leg. "Really, I kind of thought that whole purity ring thing was all for show."

Embarrassment burned on his cheeks, "Uh, not really."

They sat quiet for a moment, just the sound of their breathing between them. Then Amy slid further down the bed, until she was off it completely and kneeling on the floor between his legs. 

"How about I get this going first?"

She tugged at his jeans, getting the button open and unzipping him. He let her, he was too nervous to really help. She pushed and tugged until his jeans and his boxers were around his thighs and his cock was bare for her to see. 

He thought about Joe, if he'd gotten a blow job the other night, if he'd felt as naked and exposed as Nick did right now. 

If Joe did it, he could do it too.

His cock was soft, not even half-hard. He gasped when Amy wrapped her fingers around him. Amy hummed and started to stroke him slowly. Her touch sent blood rushing to his cock and it swelled slightly under her fingers, though he still wasn't totally hard.

Amy looked up at him, a cute smirk on her face like she knew exactly what he'd be feeling in a second and leaned forward to put her mouth around the head of his dick. This was going to be his first blow job. He could feel the warmth of her breath on the head of his cock when he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him, confused.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this."

He stood awkwardly, fumbling with his pants as he pulled his boxers and jeans back up. He left his zipper and button open as he searched the floor for his shirts. He found both of them and turned to apologize again. She was sitting on the edge of the bed in only her underwear and Nick couldn't look at her like that. He handed her his button down shirt as he struggled to pull his t-shirt over his head.

Once she pulled the plaid shirt around her and she was more modestly covered he could at least talk. "I'm really sorry. It's not you, I just can't do this. This isn't me."

She looked disappointed, but not angry and Nick all but ran for the door.

*** 

He'd made it to his truck, but had only gotten as far as putting the key in the ignition. He rested his head back against the seat and let his eyes close. He couldn't believe what he'd done; he'd gone home with a girl and was planning on having sex with her just to get back at Joe. 

He'd treated Amy in a way he'd never thought he'd treat a girl and he was so angry with himself. And it made him even angrier with Joe. Joe had done this very thing except he'd gone through with it. 

He drove home quickly, hoping no one would be around when he got there. He stopped briefly at the corner of his street, putting the truck in park and letting it idle. He fixed his pants which were still unbuttoned and he brushed his fingers through his hair so it didn't look so wild. 

Allowing himself a quick glance over in the visor mirror, he deemed himself decent enough to go into the house even if someone was up waiting for him at home.

Lucky enough, only his dad was awake when he got home and was busy enough in his office that he barely looked up when Nick called to him as he passed.

He left the light off in his room; he brushed his teeth quickly and stripped down to his boxers before climbing into bed. Once in bed, in the dark quiet of his room, his mind would not let him rest. He kept picturing Amy on her knees between his thighs, kept remembering the feel of her warm lips on his and the taste of her skin. 

The memories made his gut twist; he curled in on himself under his covers as the guilt settled deep in him. The more he thought about tonight the angrier he got with both himself and Joe until he was so exhausted he finally fell asleep.

*** 

He slept fitfully that night; having dreams that featured both Joe and Amy. He awoke early the next morning and hoped that he could fall back asleep, but he knew it would be almost impossible. His mind was still racing from the events of the last few days. He warily got himself up and dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. 

No one else was downstairs yet and Nick made himself a bowl of cereal. He sat at the kitchen table and watched his cereal turn to mush and the milk go grey unable to eat even a bite. He got up to dump it into the sink and rinse out his bowl and went to grab his bag and keys.

The drive to Joe's house felt like it took forever, traffic worse than usual. He got caught at every red light and it seemed every driver was unable to tell the difference between the gas and the break. By the time he pulled up outside Joe's house, he felt more harried than nervous.

Ringing the buzzer made the butterflies in his belly flap wildly and when he was let in without anyone greeting him through the intercom he thought he might puke right there in Joe's driveway.

The heavy front door opened and Joe stood in the doorway, still in his pajamas, looking just as bad as Nick felt.

Joe stepped back into the house and Nick followed him in.

*** 

Nick wasn't sure if Garbo or Jack were home, but Joe led him straight up to his bedroom. The room was a mess; the covers strewn across the mattress and falling onto the floor and for a second Nick had a awful thought that Joe might have brought someone else home in the last few days and this was the evidence. 

He put that thought out of his mind and tried focus on what he had come here to say. He paced in the room and could feel Joe's eyes following him. He took a few more moments to gather his thoughts and finally turned to face Joe. "Do you know where I was last night?

Joe looked at him, confused and hesitant.

"I'm serious, Joe." He repeated his question putting emphasis on each individual word. "Do you know where I was last night?" A second went by and he continued. "I was in some girl's hotel room."

Joe sat up at that, and started to say something. Nick cut him off.

"No, let me finish. I was in some girl's hotel room and I thought I could do the same thing you did. You don't have to worry though; I couldn't go through with it. I was so close, Joe, so close, but I couldn't do that with someone I didn't care about—someone I didn't love."

Joe looked chastised and embarrassed. 

"I was thinking about what you did every time I kissed her—every time she touched me—and I kept telling myself that you did it. If you could let some stranger touch you, so could I. But when it came down to it I couldn't, because the only person I want to touch me like that is you. The only person I want to kiss, sleep next to, is you."

He sighed wearily and rubbed the back of his neck. He could feel the anger he was holding onto slip away and he only felt sadness.

"I'm sorry I made you feel like you had to prove to me you weren't interested by going out and doing that with some girl. I'm sorry I pushed how I felt on you. I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother."

His voice cracked and he turned away from Joe so he wouldn't see his glassy eyes. Joe was up, standing behind him, his arms wrapped around him, holding him tight. Nick started at the touch before relaxing into Joe’s hold, his hand on Joe’s forearm. Joe's chin tucked over Nick's shoulder and he could feel the warmth of Joe's breath on his neck.

"Stop it, just stop it. You are the best brother, Nick. And you have it all wrong. You didn't drive me to be with that girl. That was my own stupid mistake. I didn't do it to prove anything to you. Yeah, I was scared, really freaking scared, but not about anything you did or said. This was about me. About how I was scared because I felt the same way and didn't know how to deal with it."

Joe turned Nick in place so they were facing each other. 

"You're so much better than I am, Nick. You knew what you wanted and didn't care about anything else. I freaked out. I freaked out about what would happen if anyone ever found out. I freaked out that I was more interested in you than any girl. I freaked out about how much I wanted to touch you. The only thing I didn't freak out about was knowing how much I love you."

He dragged in a breath and his throat felt raw. He tried to speak, but he was lost in the incredible warmth in Joe's gaze.

"I know I messed everything up, Nick. I know I pushed you away and made you think the worst things about me, but, Nick, I finally figured it out. After you left the other night, all I could think about the mistakes I made. All you wanted was me to talk to you, but I wasn’t ready and than I went home with that girl. I don't even know why I did it, but after I couldn't stop thinking about how I wanted it to be you—how my first time should have been with you."

Joe tilted his head so his forehead rested on Nick's. "I've never felt as bad about myself as I did that morning. Right then I knew, no matter how scary it was I needed to be with you. I wanted to lie in bed at night with you. I wanted to wake up to your stupid face. I wanted to kiss you and touch you give you everything I have. I finally know exactly what I want and it's all you, Nicky. Tell me I haven't screwed this over so bad we can't fix it."

Nick blinked, stunned at what Joe was asking. It only took a second for Nick to forgive him; he'd never been able to stay mad at Joe for long. This was no exception. He fit his arms around Joe’s back; finally, finally he was pushing forward and pressing his mouth to Joe's.

*** 

His body sagged into Joe’s as he kissed him, for the first time in days, weeks, almost a month, he felt relaxed. Happy. He slipped his hands up Joe's arms from where they had hung loosely at his waist. He wasn't surprised that they shook with adrenaline. Nick caught the noise that Joe made when he slid his tongue into Joe's mouth and wanted to hear it again.

Pushing Joe lightly, Nick stumbled forward, guiding Joe back to his bed. They tripped over their own feet until the backs of Joe's knees connected with the edge of his mattress. Joe fell backwards and pulled Nick down on top of him. Their chests pressed close; Nick released Joe's mouth to kiss over his stubble-rough jaw and down to the tender flesh of Joe's throat.

There would be a mark there, but Nick didn't care. He wanted to show the world that Joe was taken—that Joe was his. He left a trail of wet kisses across Joe's neck and collarbone. When he couldn't pull the opening of Joe's t-shirt any wider without ripping it, so he sat back on his heels to yank the shirt up and over Joe's head. 

He struggled out of his own clothes and Joe finished stripping by shoving his pajama pants down off his hips and letting them fall to the floor. Nick's breath caught in his throat when he looked down at Joe, laid out on the bed, his golden-brown skin spread out for Nick to touch. 

Shifting forward, Nick bent his head and picked up where he left off, nuzzling his face to Joe's skin and mouthing his way down his chest. He nipped lightly at Joe's ribs and traced his tongue down his belly. Mouthing at Joe's hip, Nick sucked another mark onto his brother. 

Joe was whining and thrashing under him. He bit hard at Joe's hip bone and then slid back off the edge of the bed so he was kneeling between Joe's legs. He had thought about this before, what it would be like take Joe's cock in his mouth—now that he was about to actually do it, salvia pooled in his mouth.

The head was pink and fat, a bead of pre-come sat shiny at the slit. He licked the slippery wetness into his mouth and teased his tongue up the thick vein along the underside of Joe’s dick. Joe groaned, deep and ragged, and it made Nick shiver knowing he did this to Joe.

He took as much of Joe into his mouth he could and started to suck. He was uncoordinated and awkward; he gagged and had to pull off. Joe reached down, patting him on the shoulder and tried to tell him he didn’t have to do this, but Nick had never given up on anything in his life and this wasn’t going to be the first time. 

Bending down again, he wrapped his lips just around the head and sucked slower. He tightened his fingers around the base and stroked in time with the bobbing of his head.

Joe started to mumble, as he groped at Nick’s head and shoulders. “Oh God, Nick, so good. Please. Don’t stop. Please.”

The higher Joe’s voice went as he begged the harder Nick worked. He tongued at the thickness of Joe’s cock in his mouth and couldn’t stop the low rumble of a satisfied groan in his chest.

He would have sucked Joe until he came down his throat, but Joe grappled frantically at his shoulder forcing Nick off his dick. Wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand, he looked up at Joe rather frustrated. “What?”

Joe’s eyes were barely focusing and his breathing was rough. “Nick, want you to fuck me.”

His breath caught in his throat and he gasped. He wanted to—wanted it so much—but he wasn’t sure they were ready for that. “Are you sure? We don’t have to.”

Joe pulled himself up so he was sitting up; his legs spread wide, cradling Nick’s body. He lifted his hand to rest his palm flat against Nick’s cheek. It was sweaty and warm; Joe kissed him softly, almost chastely. “I want this, Nick. I want it so much, want you inside me. Please.”

Nick returned Joe’s kiss just as gently. “I want it to. Uh, do we have stuff?”

They needed lube and as much as Nick didn’t want to think about why they definitely needed a condom too. Joe’s face fell as he looked around his room; he shifted to the side of the bed and opened his nightstand. Out of the draw he pulled a tube of lube. 

“I don’t have condoms, never needed them before,” Joe frowned.

Nick settled back, ready to concede that they just weren’t going to have sex today, but Joe’s eyes suddenly brightened and as he frantically fumbled into his boxers, he ran from the room. Nick was sure the confusion was evident on his face. Only minutes later, Joe was back with a handful of condoms and a silly grin. “I knew roommates were a good idea. Got ‘em out of Garbo’s bathroom.”

Nick wanted to know how Joe was planning on explaining to Garbo why his stash of condoms was missing, but right now he couldn’t think past this moment. Joe closed and locked the door behind him and shed his boxers again before crawling back into bed. Nick was suddenly nervous; this was something he and Joe couldn’t come back from.

One look at Joe’s face and Nick’s nerves were put to rest. There was nothing but desire in Joe’s eyes. They kissed; Nick laid Joe out under him and thrust his hips down. He could have gotten off like that—rubbing up against Joe and savoring every kiss—but both of them wanted something more.

He picked up the lube and snapped open the cap. It was cool on his fingers and he rubbed his thumb over the tips of his first two fingers to warm the slick. Joe angled his hips up and spread his thighs. He hummed low and watched Nick intently. “Come on, Nick, please.”

Nick was surprised at how hot Joe’s skin was at first touch; he pushed the tip of his index finger in and the inside of Joe was even more intense. Working his finger slowly in, his blood pulsed fiercely through him each time Joe moaned in pleasure.

It was hard going slow; he wanted to forget the fingers and just shove his fat cock right into Joe, but he also wanted Joe to keep making those soft noises that were driving Nick crazy. He’d worked a second finger in and had Joe open enough now that he didn’t think he’d hurt him.

With shaking fingers, he tore open one of the condoms. He slipped trying to get it on, but once he did he squeezed his fingers around the base tightly to get himself under control. He was so hard already and he knew this wasn’t going to last very long.

He shifted forward; the head of his dick pressed to Joe’s opening. Before pushing in, he leaned over and kissed Joe sloppily—all tongue and teeth. “Love you so much.”

Joe bit his lower lip roughly, “Love you too.”

Nick pushed in, sliding in slowly until his hips were snug against Joe’s. Joe moaned long and deep—his breathing stuttered and short. “Come on, Nick. Do it, fuck me.”

Now that he’d been given permission, he couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He shifted his weight and started thrusting. His hips jerked without rhythm, at first, and the heat built to an unimaginable crescendo until he was reduced to loud, embarrassing ‘uh-uh’ noises every time he thrust forward. 

Joe’s hands were everywhere; on his back and sides and ass. He could feel his fingers digging into his skin, making marks every time he dragged him in harder. Heat seared down his spine and almost without warning, he came. He shook and shuddered spilling molten hot into the condom. He called out Joe’s name and collapsed heavy on top of him.

It took a moment for him to come back to his senses and when he did he could feel Joe squirming underneath him trying to rub himself off against Nick’s belly. He quickly shifted and took Joe’s cock in hand. All it took was a few quick jerks and Joe was spurting hot wet across his belly.

They laid quietly, both breathing heavily, but more content than they had been in months. Only when the wet started to go tacky on his skin, did Nick move. He discarded the condom, making more of mess than he would have liked. Grabbing Joe's discarded boxers to clean himself off, he then tossed the wadded up cotton to Joe with a crooked grin. Joe grinned back wiping himself off and then, looking almost shy, beckoned Nick back to bed.

Nick crawled back into bed, and let Joe circle his arms around as he pulled him in close.

*** 

When Nick woke he was groggy and disoriented and it took him a few moments to realize where he was and why. Joe was curled up behind him, holding him tight against his chest. He made an unhappy little noise when Nick tried to move; Joe squeezed him tighter. 

“Mmm, go back to sleep, don’t want to get up yet.”

Nick laughed into the pillow and wiggled back. “Can’t sleep all day.”

“Could try.”

Nick laughed again, knowing Joe was teasing. He let Joe pull him even closer. “Do we have to talk about this?”

Joe was quiet and for a second Nick almost thought he might have actually fallen back asleep. “I don’t know. Do you need to talk about it? Cause after this morning I kind of thought it was obvious how we both felt.”

“Are you still freaked out?”

Joe kissed his shoulder blade, taking a longer moment before answering. “Honestly, yeah, but I’m not scared anymore. I know what I want now and even if it's difficult, I still want to and nothing will stand in my way.”

Nick grinned hard into the pillow. Joe pushed at his shoulders and hips until Nick had rolled to face him. Their foreheads pressed together and Joe kissed him long and sweet. 

Nick pulled back to look at Joe seriously, “Promise me no more binge drinking and all night partying, okay?”

Joe’s cheeks pinked with embarrassment. “I promise, though I kind of developed a taste for wine, I wouldn’t mind a glass or two with dinner every now and then.”

Nick tried to look stern, but being wrapped up in Joe affected Nick’s ability to pout and he grinned harder. “I think we can handle that.”

*** 

A few weeks passed and Nick had never been happier. They’d started filming the second season of Jonas and Nick was thrilled with the changes they made. Even though they often filmed long days, Nick had couldn’t help but feel relaxed.

He and Joe returned to their old habits, breakfast together in the mornings, ice cream in the afternoons. But no one ever seemed to notice how now their hands brushed together or how Nick would press his thigh to Joe’s when sitting next to him.

They were very careful and conscious though and it turned out Joe getting his own place was one of the best decisions he ever made. Nick spent many nights there after Joe cooked dinner or they watched a movie. For all Nick’s worry about Joe moving out, they spent more time together now then they would when Joe still lived at home.

As careful as they were about doing anything that might get them caught, Nick still couldn’t stop himself from grabbing Joe and kissing him sometimes. So happy that he could finally act on those urges, that they would be returned. Today, he was walking around the craft services area set up at the location they were filming. 

Up ahead he could see Joe ambling toward their shared trailer but he didn’t call out for Joe to wait. Instead, he followed behind quietly, enjoying the view of Joe in his worn jeans and sleeveless shirt. Joe disappeared into his trailer and Nick hastened to follow.

He opened the door quietly and when it closed behind he locked it so they wouldn’t be walked in on by anyone. Joe didn’t say a word as Nick slinked slowly across the trailer. He raised one eyebrow in a decidedly dirty way that made Nick wish they had time for more than just the few stolen minutes of kissing he was planning when he first came in here.

Nick moved into Joe’s space wrapping his arms around Joe’s waist, and moved in to kiss him deeply.

Joe nipped at his lower lip and then leaned back with a smirk on his face. “Why, Mr. Jonas, what are your intentions here?”

“Well, my intentions were to shove my hand down your pants and jerk you off, but if you’re gonna be a douche about it. You can forget it.”

Joe’s eyes gleamed. “Oh! I wouldn’t want you not to finish what you started.” 

He dragged Nick back in and licked into his mouth for a filthy kiss. He panted heavily when he broke away again and whispered huskily into Nick’s ear. “You know if you do a good job, I might even be convinced to return the favor.”

Nick’s cock twitched in his pants and he growled, “When do I ever not do a good job? Now come ‘ere.” Nick pulled at the button on Joe’s jeans and shoved him back so he fell back onto the small couch his legs spread wide. They tried to be quiet, but sometimes Nick just liked it when Joe keened unintelligibly. 

If there were some unexplainable noises coming from the trailer for the next twenty minutes or so, no one seemed to notice.

Fin


End file.
